The SF-MMORPG Star Citizen has now raised 640 million US dollars, most of it through the sale of virtual ships. MeinMMO author Schuhmann has noticed an aspect that is rarely discussed: some seem to view the ships as investments and speculative objects. On eBay and through special sites in Metz, a gray market is booming: ships that were given away in 2017 are now being auctioned for €1,600.
This is noticeable with Star Citizen: Anyone who follows discussions about Star Citizen on the internet will notice two things:
- There are people who defend the game to the last in the comment sections of general gaming sites and do not allow any criticism of the game. Often these are people who only comment on Star Citizen
- The amounts that some pay for virtual ships are absurdly high. There is a special category of players in Star Citizen called “Legatus Navium”, which only includes those who have spent more than $25,000. These are so-called “Whales”
What is the official reason for this? The official positive interpretation is something like: Star Citizen fulfills many people’s dream of a lifetime. It is a fantastically sounding project. There is nothing comparable, and those who spend so much believe firmly in Chris Roberts and his vision.
That is true; such people exist. We reported on MeinMMO about a photographer who invested $31,000 in Star Citizen after he nearly died.
But I have noticed another aspect that is not addressed in the discussion. Admittedly, this may sound a bit like a conspiracy theory at first, but listen to me.
“Protecting the Investment”
What is this covert aspect? In my work as an MMORPG author for MeinMMO, I noticed back in 2014 that some MMORPG players have a different incentive to defend an MMORPG than mere enthusiasm.
In 2014, there was unusually sharp criticism and opposition when we reported negatively about the free-to-play MMORPG ArcheAge on MeinMMO, even though the game was clearly “Pay2Win”. In a German forum about the game, I saw players who played ArcheAge very differently than I have ever experienced in 15 years of MMORPG experience:
- These players did not see ArcheAge as an MMORPG but as an “investment”.
- They played ArcheAge with the clear intention of earning real money by building an early power position in order to generate gold in the game and then sell it.
- Therefore, it was normal for them to defend this “investment” by contradicting any criticism of ArcheAge in forums.
Because the “investment” in an MMORPG is only worthwhile if the game attracts new players so that they can find new buyers.
The Market for Virtual Ships on eBay is Booming
What does this have to do with Star Citizen? In Star Citizen, there is a vibrant gray market for virtual ships on eBay:
- Time and again, CIG sells or distributes some special ships
- They can then often be found on eBay months or years later at sometimes absurdly high prices with the note “This ship is not currently available anymore”.
- On the web, there is even a dedicated site called “The Impound” that specializes in trading “Star Citizen” ships.
The “Sabre Riven” was introduced in 2017 in Frankfurt, you received it through a promo code and it cannot be purchased today. Here, two codes are being offered for €1,600 each:
This is my theory: I believe some users on the internet – certainly not all, but some – who defend Star Citizen with fervor are speculators protecting “their investment”: they bought ships in Star Citizen for a lot of money, intending to resell them at a high price should the game be successful.
The active gray market for ships in Star Citizen will certainly also fuel the game’s enormous revenue.
What share of speculators accounts for the 640 million US dollars is difficult to determine. Certainly, among the people who are consolidating ships or accounts on eBay, there may also be a collector or two who finds the wait for Star Citizen too long and tries to get back a part of their investment now.
But some offers, especially when several ships of the same kind are offered through immediate purchase, clearly look like speculators who want to sell for profit.
It is noticeable that the trade in virtual ships in Star Citizen has reached unusual proportions and that for years.
There are games where real money is earned virtually, but it is rarely openly discussed:
German employs 16 “China farmers” to work on an NFT game – But market collapses
